Strange Fate
by SunlightOnTheWater
Summary: When she saved Mirage's life by giving up her own Nexia changed the future. Six months after her death the war rages on and Shockwave is planning something that could have potentially deadly results. It will be up to Mirage and Jazz to save not only their lost sister but their world and friends from total destruction. Sequel to Unusual Orphans
1. Chapter I, Part I

Author's Note: So this is the sequel to Unusual Orphans posted a couple weeks later than it should have. Enjoy and good luck guessing what's going to happen! I own nothing but Nexia

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**Strange Fate**

_Chapter I, Part I_

_She was lying on the bed, still as death except for the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Her white blonde curls drifted around her head like a halo. Her pale skin was flawless and shimmered somewhat under the pale light. She was as vibrant and healthy looking as she had been in life, her cheeks rosy and her lips curved up slightly in a smile, and looked as if she would wake at any time. Still she slept on, blissfully unaware of the chaos outside her sheltered room. The one with the door that no one but he seemed to be able to find._

Mirage shook that thought out of his head and focused on calming his breathing. In the year since Nexia had given up her own life so that he could live it wasn't unusual for Mirage to dream of his younger sister. Most of the time he saw her smile the instant before she fell dead next to him or saw her as a child grinning at him from her bed. The last two nights had been different. He had seen Nexia lying in a bed of pale pink blossoms, sleeping, and no matter what he tried he could not rouse her. He had woke both times gasping for breath.

He had lied to Jazz about the dreams. Both times his older brother asked he had claimed they were nightmares about the day he had died. Jazz hadn't questioned any further, not wanting to upset his younger brother. It was a good thing Jazz hadn't questioned any further or Mirage's resolve would have probably broken and he would have spilled the secret.

A bang and the scuffle of feet on dirt pulled his attention back to the present. He shifted slightly while the noise was still echoing about the cavern and focused on the scene behind him. Shockwave was shipping something into an underground cavern in large amounts but no one had yet been able to figure out what. Mirage fingered the talisman hanging around his neck thoughtfully as he watched the crates being unloaded. It had been given to him by an ancient wise woman and gave him the ability to become invisible. For missions like this it was incredibly useful.

One of the delivery men said something about payment and the man helping unload the crates nodded and led him outside the cave. Mirage wrapped his fingers tight around the talisman and allowed the power to wash over him, making him vanish from view. He walked carefully across the footprint covered dirt, hoping his own footprints vanished into the chaos of other steps. He paused at the first crate, picking the lock and lifting the lid. _Rocks_. Dozens of crystals lay shimmering inside the crate. When Mirage picked one up it was warm to the touch, as if it contained some kind of heat. He pocketed the crystal and shut the lid on the crate, relocking it just as the pair returned to unload the last few.

Where did the rocks come from? Mirage aimed to find out. He slipped in the back of the truck just as the unloaded the last of the crates. "That's all for this week," the man said.

"All for the rest of your life," the other one grumbled and Mirage froze.

"W-what?" was all the other man got out before the knife sliced his throat. Blood sprayed everywhere including where Mirage was hiding. The guard may have never noticed the extra footprints or the missing crystal but he did notice the blood vanishing into thin air where it hit Mirage.

"Hey!" he yelled but Mirage was already darting by him, heartbeat pounding in his chest as he all but flew out of the cave. The man chased after him but paused at the entrance of the cave, obviously torn. Shockwave probably didn't want anything to happen to the crystals and if Mirage was simply a distraction the 'Con wouldn't be pleased. Mirage froze behind a clump jagged rocks, his heartbeat all he could hear until the man turned and re-entered the cave. Shockwave was definitely up to something with the rocks, but what?


	2. Chapter II, Part I

Author's Note: Onward to the next chapter! Thanks to _Lynn Jones_ (Glad I've got you intrigued already!) and _Riptide2_ (Too true. Actually you could almost imply that everything bad comes from Shockwave but not quite) for reviewing the last chapter! I own nothing but Nexia

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**Strange Fate**

_Chapter II, Part I_

Mirage was trembling with exhaustion and nerves by the time he reached the Autobot check point. He had become visible an hour into the two hour hike and then regretted it as the energy loss from remaining invisible and paranoia from what had happened earlier in the day took its toll. The fringe guard the spotted him recognized him and let him through without comment. "How was it?" Mirage didn't have the energy to be startled when Hound appeared almost out of nowhere next to him. Besides he was used to it...kind of.

"Shockwave is planning something like you thought," Mirage replied tiredly. "The question is what exactly. There was a cargo delivery today that he was willing to kill to make sure no one knew about it."

"What was the delivery?" Hound questioned.

"You think so highly of my skills," Mirage joked tiredly, smirking slightly. "Crystals. They were clear and warm to the touch. I managed to grab one before I was almost caught." He dug the crystal out of his pocket and handed it over.

"You exceed my expectations as always," Hound replied, smiling. Mirage managed a smile in return. "Get some rest. You look like you need it."

"Not yet," Mirage said. "Not if Jazz is in."

"Whatever you need to tell him can probably wait," Hound tried but Mirage shot him a flat, unamused look. He got a resigned sigh in return. "Try the training room." Mirage nodded his thanks and headed for the main building which housed, among other things, a training room in the basement. He paused then and turned back to Hound, realizing he should probably apologize to his mentor.

"Sorry," he said. "I just have some things on my mind that I have to talk to Jazz about. Then I'll get some rest. I promise."

"Do what you need to," Hound replied with an almost fond smile. Mirage nodded and turned back to the building.

True to Hound's prediction Jazz was in the training room moving through the motions of whatever martial art he was currently learning. Also predictably he knew exactly who had walked into the room. "Ya jus' get back?"

"Yeah," Mirage replied, dropping some of his formal tone as he only ever did with his siblings. Well sibling now. Nexia had given up her life to bring him back. "I need to talk to you."

"What about?" Jazz asked, turning and giving his younger brother his full attention.

"I had a dream the last couple nights and it wasn't exactly what I told you it was about," Mirage admitted. "You remember that story Nexia made up when we were younger? The one about the sleeping girl?"

"The one where she dies in 'er sleep jus' afore her savior gets there?" Jazz asked and Mirage nodded, not trusting himself to speak. "What about it?"

"I had a dream like the room she described the girl was trapped in," Mirage explained, not daring to look up from the floor to face his brother. "And Nexia was there sleeping. I got the feeling she was _waiting_ for something."

Jazz's comforting hand on his shoulder caused him to glance up. "I haven't seen anything while I slept but-" Jazz trailed off and Mirage nodded. Between nightmares of he and Nexia's deaths and running Special Ops Jazz wasn't getting much sleep. "If Ah do _see_ anything or hear any whispers about Nex I'll tell ya," Jazz continued after a moment. "Tell meh if ya dream anything else."

"I promise," Mirage said tiredly, forcing down a yawn. Their mother had come from a long line of prophetesses and seeresses but Soundwave's children had long believed the gift had passed them by until Mirage's latest dream.

"Good," Jazz said with his usual grin back in place. "Now get some rest. Ya need it."

"And you don't," Mirage shot back, already heading for the door. Jazz's laughter followed him out the door and echoed in his mind all the way back to the room the two brothers shared.


	3. Chapter III, Part I

Author's Note:  Thanks to _Lynn Jones_ (Probably your least favorite answer but you'll have to wait and see) and _Riptide2_ (You'll find out soon enough) for reviewing the last chapter. I own nothing but Nexia

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**Strange Fate**

_Chapter III, Part I_

_She was waiting for them with the infinite patience she always seemed to possess. Her skin was so pale it was almost translucent and shimmered a bit in the thin beam of sunlight that touched her face. Someone had covered her body with a pure white netting and it shifted slightly under the light weight of her breath. There she lingered between life and death. Waiting._

Mirage woke gasping as if he had just run a marathon and soaked in sweat. Jazz was across the room for him, sleeping for once, and Mirage didn't have the heart to wake his older brother. Instead he dressed silently and left the room without looking back. The evening air was cool against his fevered skin and the sky was clear enough to see stars. He wasn't alone outside though. The young Prime stood there with Ironhide as an ever present shadow and a disapproving Ratchet.

Mirage hung back in the shadows as was his habit. For the first time since he and his siblings had joined the Autobots Optimus looked actually annoyed. Mirage was sure the Prime had been annoyed before but he had never let it be shown and somehow it made Soundwave's youngest son feel as if he had walked into a meeting he shouldn't have without his father to smooth things over. "For Primus sake Ratchet it is simply a flesh wound," Optimus said, sounding exasperated.

"For letting your emotions guide you rather than logic," Ratchet snarled. "What happens when you come back from some reckless escapade and I can't fix you?"

"The Autobots cannot afford to lose you," Ironhide added, his voice a low rumble. Optimus turned to glare at his sometimes bodyguard and then paused, turning farther to glance directly at Mirage. The younger man had the same uncomfortable feeling of being caught somewhere he shouldn't have been that he had gotten when he was younger and his father had found him pulled into another of Jazz's pranks.

"Are you going to continue lurking in the shadows or are you going to come out and give us your opinion?" the Prime asked, sounding almost amused. Mirage reluctantly stepped out of the shadows and caught the surprise on the Prime's face before it vanished.

"Who did you expect?" he questioned.

"Your brother," Optimus admitted and Ironhide nodded slightly.

"It would be like Jazz to hang around during something like this," he rumbled.

"Jazz is sleeping," Mirage said. "For once. I thought it best not to wake him. Besides he has a tendency to attack when roused in the middle of the night." Ironhide laughed, Ratchet smirked, and Optimus smiled.

"So what brings you outside then?" the Prime asked. Mirage wordlessly shrugged, keeping his dream to himself. The waryness that had come from growing up as a Decepticon had not fled him as easily as it had Jazz though Jazz mostly hid his caution behind a mask of humor. Optimus didn't press him and for that Mirage was grateful.

"I'll leave you," he said with a slight incline of his head, turning to go.

"You never answered my query," Optimus called after him and Mirage paused, turning back to his leader with an arched eyebrow. "I never took back my question," the Prime said, sounding almost amused again.

"Being guided by emotions instead of logic is likely to get you killed in battle," Mirage said, forcing his face into a blank mask. "Emotions lead to rash attacks and foolish attempts that do far more ill to your side than good."

"See," Ironhide rumbled. "Even the boy agrees with us." Mirage fought down his indignation at being named a child but shoved it down under an icy mask. The Autobot leader was still studying him.

"But?" Optimus questioned after a moment and Mirage sucked in a deep breath. The Prime was perceptive, almost as perceptive as their father but without the advantage of his gift.

"But one who leads without emotions is not loved by those who follow him," Mirage continued. "Sometimes in order to lead one must takes risks that they would not ordinarily do and follow their heart." Then he turned and all but fled, leaving them to continue their argument. As he returned to he and Jazz's quarters he could not shake the feeling that he had stepped out of his place.


End file.
